Censorship Essays (888 words) - Freedom Of Expression, Censorship

Censorship Essays (888 words) - Freedom Of Expression, Censorship Censorship CENSORSHIP Censorship and the ideology supporting it reiterates concepts from ancient times. In early Greek civilization, Socrates was accused of worshipping strange gods and corrupting the minds of the youth. He preferred to sacrifice his life rather than accept the censorship of his teachings. Socrates advocated free discussion, and is the first person in recorded history to formulate a philosophy of intellectual freedom. Ancient Roman society endorsed that only members of the Senate, or persons of vast authority, enjoyed the privilege of free speech. However, the extensive Roman Empire could not have remained intact for four centuries if it had not maintained a tolerant attitude toward the diverse religions and cults of the races it ruled. In our own country, the American Revolution branded the beginning of an era with an emphasis on toleration and liberty the Age of Enlightenment. It affected all aspects of society, from religious belief and political life, to science and literature. The De claration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution sanctioned that restraint on publication is unconstitutional. Such repression is only justified in extreme cases, such as times of war. In modern times, censorship refers to the examination of books, plays, periodicals, films, television and radio programs, news reports and the internet for the purpose of suppressing material thought to be objectionable or offensive. Censorship can be defined as the supervision and control of the information and ideas that are circulated among the people within a society. It concerns objectionable materials, such as those which may be considered to be immoral, obscene, treasonable or injurious to national security. The rationale of censorship is that it is necessary for the protection of basic social institutions: the family, the church and the state. It is a guardian of morals, and intrudes in many aspects of society: it supervises our communications, suppresses our freedom of speech, alters and edits our media and reduces the knowledge base that we can gain access to. It is claimed that permissiveness in the arts and mass media debases the public taste and corrupts all sense of dec ency. One aspect of censorship is that it omits some of our freedoms of speech when addressing a large group of people. For example, no person has the right to shout Fire! in a crowded theatre when no fire is present, or urge an angry mob to riot. This, as stipulated by Congress, would be a clear and present danger to the peace and security of the community. In some local communities, school boards have exerted pressure on publishers to omit certain areas of text relating to various sensitive issues, such as evolution, the biblical account of creation, or discussions of racial or religious groups. When publishers, authors or broadcasters trespass the political or moral boundaries set by law, they may be subject to fines, imprisonment and confiscation of their publication. The U.S. film industry practices a form of self-censorship. The Motion Picture Association of America imposed on its constituents a system of film classification. The Federal Communications Commission implemented v ague rules for television and radio about program content. They restrict the use of explicit language and direct references to sex. Religious, ethnic and racial groups have attempted to prevent plays, movies, and television programs because of elements they find offensive. In terms of my own opinions concerning censorship, I do not believe that it should be completely eliminated from our society. Instead of the materials we have access to being filtered and limited, I believe that the information should be available to those who choose to, and are mature enough to view it. One aspect I feel strongly about is that any individual should be able to openly criticize, through speech or publication, any government or public official. If we do not have the right to question or criticize our authority figures, than there is nothing to set our democratic society apart from that of a dictatorship. I do not believe that censorship should interfere with our correspondence, privacy, family or with our freedom of thought, religion or opinion. In terms of how censorship should be dealt with in our classroom, I think that omitting all profanity from music selection would eliminate a huge portion

Examining the Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing

Examining the Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing Like many issues in public education, standardized testing can be a controversial topic among parents, teachers, and voters. Many people say standardized testing provides an accurate measurement of student performance and teacher effectiveness. Others say such a one-size-fits-all approach to assessing academic achievement can be inflexible or even biased. Regardless of the diversity of opinion, there are some common arguments for and against standardized testing in the classroom. Standardized Testing Pros Proponents of standardized testing say that it is the best means of comparing data from a diverse population, allowing educators to digest large amounts of information quickly. They argue that: Its accountable.  Probably the greatest benefit of standardized testing is that educators and schools are responsible for teaching students what they are required to know for these standardized tests. This is mostly because these scores become public record, and teachers and schools that don’t perform up to par can come under intense examination. This scrutiny can lead to the loss of jobs. In some cases, a school can be closed or taken over by the state. Its analytical.  Without standardized testing, this comparison would not be possible. Public school students in Texas, for example, are required to take standardized tests, allowing test data from Amarillo to be compared to scores in Dallas. Being able to accurately analyze data is a primary reason that many states have adopted the Common Core state standards. Its structured.  Standardized testing is accompanied by a set of established standards or an instructional framework to guide classroom learning and test preparation. This incremental approach creates benchmarks to measure student progress over time. Its objective.  Standardized tests are often scored by computers or by people who do not directly know the student to remove the chance that bias would affect the scoring. Tests are also developed by experts, and each question undergoes an intense process to ensure its validity- that it properly assesses the content- and its reliability, which means that the question tests consistently over time. Its granular.  The data generated by testing can be organized according to established criteria or factors, such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and special needs. This approach provides schools with data to develop targeted programs and services for improving student performance. Standardized Testing Cons Opponents of standardized testing say educators have become too fixated on scores and preparing for these exams. Some of the most common arguments against testing are: Its inflexible.  Some students may excel in the classroom yet not perform well on a standardized test because theyre unfamiliar with the format or develop test anxiety. Family strife, mental and physical health issues, and language barriers can all affect a students test score. But standardized tests dont allow personal factors to be taken into consideration. Its a waste of time.  Standardized testing causes many teachers to teach to the tests, meaning they only spend instructional time on material that will appear on the test. Opponents say this practice lacks creativity and can hinder a student’s overall learning potential. It cant measure true progress.  Standardized testing only evaluates one-time performance instead of a students progress and proficiency over time. Many would argue that teacher and student performance should be evaluated for growth over the course of the year instead of one single test. Its stressful.  Teachers and students alike feel test stress. For educators, poor student performance may result in a loss of funding and teachers being fired. For students, a bad test score may mean missing out on admission to the college of their choice or even being held back. In Oklahoma, for example, high school students  must pass four standardized tests  in order to graduate, regardless of their GPA. (The state gives seven standardized  end-of-instruction (EOI) exams in Algebra I, Algebra II, English II, English III, Biology I, geometry and U.S. history. Students  who fail to pass at least four of these exams  can’t get a high school diploma.) Its political.  With public and charter schools both competing for the same public funds, politicians and educators have come to rely even more on standardized test scores. Some opponents of testing argue that low-performing schools are unfairly targeted by politicians who use academic performance as an excuse to further their own agendas.

Product and Brand Management PowerPoint Presentation

Product and Brand Management - PowerPoint Presentation Example The consumption of the beverages has been threatened by health concerns with the need to introduce more healthy brands. The research in the American market suggests that the consumption level is affected by an increased 63% of the population preferring nutritious drinks as compared to the established brands. The leading products have ventured to include production of bottled water for consumers to utilize as alternative products. Slide 2: Competitive Analysis The leading competitor expected in the market would be the Coca-Cola Company with a leading market share of 42.8%. This has been due to powerful and precise advertisement measures and introduction of unique brands preferred by the consumers. With the strategy to introduce the, rich juicy, flavors in mango, orange and strawberry, Kooler Refresh is expected to gain a 10% market share. However, with the right advertising strategies and the combination of both new and traditional media, the awareness of the brand would be increased (Gelder, 2005). The other advantage in the Coca-Cola Company is the popularity of the brand and awareness of the existing flavors. However, one in five consumers prefers healthy beverages as compared to products that hold minimal energy level. The carbonated drinks have also been replaced by bottled water as a preference due to health implications. Slide 3 and 4: Brand Strategic Plan The vision of the company has been created to become a leading supplier of healthy soft drinks among the developing ages who prefer satisfactory healthy drinks. The objective realized in the company is to increase the market share on introduction within the market to rival the efforts of the competitive brands. On becoming a leading brand within the market, the consumers would help the product realize the increase in returns and profit generation. This will be effectively achieved in environmental friendly packaging and the composition of the drink to include healthy ingredients. The drink also lacks th e quality of the carbonated drinks with a, pure natural, taste in the drink. Strategy to be applied involves focusing on the energetic youth, especially in young male and female athletes. These are found in schools and competitive platforms with the inclusion of marketing campaigns utilized by the youth. The company has identified the 16-25 year age to be the most active and in need for an alternative brand category. The brand also expects to introduce alternative milk flavors in vanilla and strawberry. The marketing strategy campaign in advertising is expected to be extended to Africa and Asia as avenues to market the product name. The company will apply similar tactics as the competitor in using celebrity endorsement programs and creating avenues preferred by the youth in free samples as promotional campaign. However, the input would be placed on selected platforms like advertising campaigns engaging selected groups. Slide 5 and 6: 4 Ps The product under consideration is a soft dr ink with the brand identification name in Kooler Refresh that offers health and energy retrieval through the natural tasty blends available. The production has been based on inclusion of added energy content per millimeter similar to the nutrients acquired in the natural fruit. The selected Pricing range has been selected to aid in marketing campaign with comparison used in the competitor pricing. The company expects to charge at a 10% reduction rate in the

Lesson Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Lesson Plan - Essay Example That student writes another pair of antonyms and passes the paper to the next person, and they keep it going around their group until the two minutes are up. The goal is for each group to list as many antonyms as they can. Encourage students to help one another if anyone in the group is having difficulty thinking of a pair of words. Have each group read their list aloud. Let the class decide whether the words in each pair have opposite meanings. 3. Give each student a blank Antonym Matching Game Board (attached). Have students think of any five antonym pairs and write one word in each box, making a matching game. Students can cut the words apart, lay the cards face down, and flip them over, two at a time, to try to find a match that are antonyms. Write some words on the blackboard and ask the students to identify them. The students are to say what antonyms they can act. Split the students into groups of three or four. Every member of each group to write a pair of antonyms on a piece of paper, and teamwork is encouraged. Students to be given a blank antonym matching game board and match the antonyms. Handout a worksheet to the students containing fill-in sentences on the left end of the paper, as well as a list of words on the far right side which will serve as antonyms for the fill-in sentences. After submission, the students will be coached on how to figure out the correct for every question on the

Creative Play Essay Example for Free

Creative Play Essay Creative development is provided within settings through role play, music, dance and messy activities. Creativity can stem to a range of other things to, such as problem solving, knowledge and understanding of the world, Personal social and emotional development and physical development. When creative activities are set out for children they can gain a great deal of satisfaction and it can increase the child’s confidence and self esteem. Children do not necessarily have an end product in mind but they may just want to explore and enjoy the creative materials they are using. Children are learning all the time and we as practitioners need to make learning fun and enjoyable. It is important that we provide enough opportunities for children to develop creatively we can do this by providing resources that they may not have access to at home and offering support in exploring these materials. As practitioners we are good observers and reflectors and should encourage children to reflect on their experiences to. From children’s reflections you can then look at where an activity should go next and how you can adapt that activity to support the individual child’s learning. Children can learn from as young as newborn. They begin to learn skills such as grasp, facial expression, textures, smells and sounds. The first sign of a child’s creativity begins with exploring sounds and listening to familiar voices around them. They may link these sounds to key people such as their parents, siblings, grandparents or carers. The process of a newborn is to become familiar with its surroundings and to sense a gain of belonging. They can gain this from bonding with its parents. As the child gets older they begin to learn new skills and have more opportunities in which they are able to explore. They become more inquisitive and like to have free flow of activities within the setting they are in and practitioners need to encourage them to explore the surroundings without taking charge of their play. For babies we offer opportunities for them to explore a wide range of materials and resources such as musical and light toys and natural ‘holistic’ objects such as brushes, wool, saucepans, utensils, wood, sponges and a range of different textured fabrics. Babies use the senses to acquire the skills of play they explore by using their hands and eyes. Children gradually learn to understand the properties of the objects that they played with – whether they are hard or soft, or big or small; whether the have a ight or a wrong way up; whether their shape changes or stays the same; whether they taste or smell good, and so on. Babies learn so much from exploratory play and we as practitioners provide them with a safe and secure place to do this. We let the children take risks which they may not be able to do at home such as having out blunt cutlery, pasta and other exciting and interesting objects in which they can play with and learn from. Children are more likely to l earn through play if you make it exciting for them and you help in supporting their play. When supporting children within their play you should aim to provide minimum intervention in children’s play activities while keeping them safe from harm. You should support rather than direct their play and help create a play environment that will stimulate their self directed play and provide maximum opportunities for them to experience a wide variety of activities. You can show support within children’s play by providing flexible planning and enable them to choose from a broad range of play opportunities both indoors and outdoors. You should support their play by giving the child a choice of whether or not they wish to be involved in the play activity. By giving the child plenty of space to play especially when they are taking part in physical and imaginative play and to provide challenging play opportunities to avoid boredom; risk taking is part of the enjoyment of play. Creative play allows children to express their feelings through art, music, role play, singing and story telling. It is important that as practitioners we introduce new concepts of play to children in order to expand on their existing knowledge. When supporting a child in creative play practitioners should not stress that they are to produce an end product, and that there is no competition to who produces the best piece of work as children develop at different levels and stages. Practitioners should support the fact that the child has had a learning experience whether they have just explored the resources and materials or they have reached the end product. All children should be praised for the efforts they have made and feel pride in what they have achieved and learnt and we should support children in not being disappointed in their efforts of creative play. Children’s creative development is broken down into 4 sections these are responding to experiences, expressing and communicating ideas, exploring media and materials, Creating music and dance and developing imagination and imaginative play. Children need the opportunity to explore and investigate and have a sound knowledge of where they want to go in life. Creativity can give your child a chance to experience and develop new skills and sharing their knowledge and skills with others It is a way in which children explore and develop an understanding of the world. Through creative play children develop social, material, and imaginary worlds and their relationships with them, they elaborate all the while a flexible range of responses to the challenges that they may encounter. Creativity plays a part in all the learning areas within the foundation stage for example; Personal, social and emotional development, creativity builds upon a child’s curiosity and encourages a positive approach to new experiences.

The Absurdity of Scientific Creationism Essay -- Science Religion Essa

The Absurdity of Scientific Creationism We humans have always thought of ourselves as being unique, whether by divine sanction or by a self-established belief in superiority. For some, this understanding is intimately tied to the traditional tenets that have long been held as fact, having only recently been challenged. For modern Christians, the literal interpretation of the Bible=s account of creation has come under attack by the development and widespread acceptance of Darwinian evolution. To some, undermining the credibility of Biblical creation directly calls into question the Bible=s authority on its moral teachings. As Ken Ham, from the WGBH Boston Video Evolution Series: What About God? states, AYwhat it [the Bible] says is what it meansYit relates to the authority of scripture and the gospelsYso, if the Bible got it wrong in astronomyYgeologyYbiologyYthen why should I trust the Bible when it talks about morality and salvation? [i]@ It is no wonder with sentiments like these that the backlash against evolution has been so strong and lasting; nonetheless, it has not been until the last few decades that such a debate has moved from the pulpit to the laboratory. With a more educated and well-informed army of Christians, who believe in creationism, the scientific evidence for evolution has now come under assault. With creationists and intelligent design advocates like Henry M. Morris and Michael J. Behe respectively, the attack on Darwin is no longer argued as religion versus evolution per se, but rather one Alegitimate@ scientific theory against another. Here, we examine some of the scientific arguments presented by Henry M. Morris in his various publications. As a biology major, I find Morris= writings fascin... ...nd John D. Morris. The Modern Creation Trilogy: Science & Creation. Vol. 2. Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 1997. [xvi] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/BLAST/ [Date Accessed: Saturday, February 1, 2003] [xvii] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/BLAST/tutorial/Altschul-1.html [Date Accessed: Saturday, February 1, 2003] [xviii] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/BLAST/tutorial/Altschul-1.html [Date Accessed: Saturday, February 1, 2003] [xix] Morris, Henry H. Scientific Creationism. Appleman 557-564. [xx] Morris, Henry M., and John D. Morris. The Modern Creation Trilogy: Science & Creation. Vol. 2. Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 1997. [xxi] Morris, Henry M., and John D. Morris. The Modern Creation Trilogy: Science & Creation. Vol. 2. Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 1997. [xxii] Evolution: What About God? Videocassette. WGBH Boston Video, 2001. 60 min.

The Pruitt-Igoe Myth

In the middle of St. Louis, Missouri, just northwest of the Gateway Arch, is a vast and vacant fifty-seven-acre woodland. Oak and hickory trees are slowly reclaiming ground and overtaking the scant remains of thirty-three eleven-story apartment buildings, which once comprised the Pruitt-Igoe public housing complex. Completed in the mid-1950s before construction of the Arch even began, Pruitt-Igoe was one of the largest low-income public housing projects in the country. For nearly a decade, the complex distinguished the St. Louis city's skyline and received praise for its innovative modernist architecture that incorporated the planning principles of a radiant city. Yet just eighteen years after residents moved in, state and federal authorities demolished the towers with explosives and abandoned the site. What caused this immense failure in urban planning and public housing? This critical question is at the center of Chad Freidrichs' documentary, The Pruitt-Igoe Myth: An Urban History. The documentary claims that three interconnected issues account for Pruitt-Igoe's collapse. First, the economy essentially abandoned Pruitt-Igoe. After World War II, midwestern cities like St. Louis were flooding with poorer minorities from the southern states farms, where technology in agriculture displaced laborers. When these minorities arrived, the white middle class moving to the suburbs was nearly complete. Coincidentally, the same act that made Pruitt-Igoe possible also fueled this suburbanization via expanded Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans that made houses on the city's outskirts more affordable. The documentary makes it clear that the move to the suburbs was problematic because it caused the de-population and de-capitalization of Midwestern urban centers, where public housing initiatives were underway and premised upon continued urban growth, demands for high density living, and available jobs—all trends that did not come true. The Pruitt-Igoe myth was confirmation of whites disinterest in accepting minorities into their communities. For example, the whites' exodus to the suburbs (getting away from black people) began reversing itself when some minorities began to move into the suburbs and some whites moved back to the city. Throughout St. Louis history, we see countless number of incidents like these in terms of gentrification. Homes are taken away from minority families through gentrification forcing families to leave their only habitats and social support with services and other needs. The history of Pruitt-Igoe sheds light on today's challenges the city of St. Louis faces in regards to racial disparities. Second, the documentary finds fault with the laws that built and maintained the complex. Pruitt-Igoe was a product of the 1949 Public Housing Act, passed to address mounting problems in urban low income neighborhoods by providing safer houses and eliminating profit making landlords. When it first opened, residents dreamt that Pruitt-Igoe could be a â€Å"poor man's penthouse,† offering beds for all family members, privacy, and healthier living conditions. However, as the documentary maintains, it was a naive assumption on the legislatures that better housing alone could fix the broad societal problems that gave rise to the â€Å"ghettos† in the first place. Further, former residents assert that one of the main reasons Pruitt-Igoe fell was the failure of authorities to plan for the future and secure funds for maintaining the large housing complex. Last and not the least, segregation and racism effectively eliminated any meaningful opportunities remaining for the residents of Pruitt-Igoe. From the beginning, authorities planned to officially segregate the complex and use public housing as a tool to prevent what was termed â€Å"negro de-concentration.† When Pruitt-Igoe opened, though, the Supreme Court's decision that same year in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) required a change of plans, but white residents simply left, which resulted in perpetuating the effects of segregation. Moreover, white public housing authorities attempted to control the predominantly African American inhabitants with moralistic rules, such as restricting adult men, single or married, from living in Pruitt-Igoe. This resulted in broken families and no role model black male figures to help guide the young ones. The residents of Pruitt-Igoe brought these and other numerous issues like sanitation, water, heat and electricity problems to the city and housing officials but to no avail. The City and housing officials failed the residents of Pruitt Igoe. The people were living under deplorable conditions and concentrated poverty but because of the color of their skin they couldn't get any meaningful help or attention. Today, the â€Å"Pruitt-Igoe† issues in St. Louis still exist. Houses and complex apartments may not be demolished, but the constant negligence and lack of support from St. Louis City and housing officials is quite stunning considering we're living in the year 2018. It's so unfortunate that the â€Å"Pruitt-Igoe's† racial issue and the affects are still present today.

Competency

I am also certified In First Ad CPRM In case any children choke. I am also familiar with the centers emergency evacuation plan. Another way we can ensure safety In our classrooms Is by Inspecting all the toys In the classroom and making sure they are safe for the children. Functional Area #2 Health- In order to promote good health and nutrition and prevent Illness make sure that when the children walk In the center they stop at the hand assonating station and clean their hands to prevent any illness or bacteria from home.When prepping any type of food we always wear gloves. We also use gloves In sitting with toileting and after wiping noses to avoid spreading germs. I also am a mandated reporter and trained to recognize child abuse and report it. I sanitize toys and cots on a weekly basis. We make sure blankets are sent home every Friday to be washed. I follow all my centers procedures on sick child guidelines to make sure illness isn't spread in the classroom. We have a food program based on the Arch Diocese Of Philadelphia.It meets all the guidelines needed to provide the children nutritional need. I like it because they offer a variety of nutritional foods such as rest fruit and veggies and milk, whole grains etc to meet the children's need. Functional Goal #3 Learning Environment- I believe that my classroom is set up in a matter where the children will have space to utilize all activities such as: Dramatic Play- In dramatic play the children have all the needs of a real kitchen with recyclable items such as empty cereal boxes, milk gallons, water bottles etc..They have dress up where they can dress up as their favorite profession or Just plain old â€Å"mommy† and â€Å"daddy. We encourage the children to use their imaginations in this area. We also eave a â€Å"cozy corner away from any noisy centers where they can wind down and read a book, this is a good thing to do right before nap time. Then we have our table toys which we use as structure pl ay where they use logos or Intertwining toys which are also good for fine motor and and cognitive skills.This also gives them a chance to build relationship with teachers and peers. Then we have our structurally time that can range from arts and crafts for the theme of the week AR letters and numbers of the week In which we discuss at circle time. So In conclusion I feel that all these things are vital In the growth of a child. and I m here to ensure all these things are put Into place. Safe is by making sure all cleaning materials are put up and out of sight of children to avoid any poisoning.I also make sure that our first aid kit is well stocked with the things we need such as band aids, creams and bottled water. I am also certified in First Aid CPRM in case any children choke. I am also familiar with the centers emergency evacuation plan. Another way we can ensure safety in our classrooms is by inspecting all the toys in the classroom and making sure they are safe for the preven t illness I make sure that when the children walk in the center they stop at the here they can dress up as their favorite profession or Just plain old â€Å"mommy' and â€Å"daddy'.We encourage the children to use their imaginations in this area. We also have a â€Å"cozy corner† away from any noisy centers where they can wind down and toys which we use as structure play where they use logos or intertwining toys which build relationship with teachers and peers. Then we have our situational time that the week in which we discuss at circle time. So in conclusion I feel that all these things are vital in the growth of a child. and I am here to ensure all these things are put into place.

Tourism Industry in Sabah

Tourism Industry in Sabah Free Online Research Papers 1.0 Tourism Industry in Sabah The tourism industry, especially in Sabah, has been booming despite the natural disaster tsunami and bird flu. Tourists have been flocking to Sabah due to its unique eco-related places that had generated a lot of interests among foreign visitors. Kota klias is one of the many interesting sites in Sabah and in recent years the area has been gaining popularity among foreign tourists due to the presence of the unique and proboscis monkey. 2.0 THE TOURISM INDUSTRY The world tourism industry reached an all-time record of 760 million international tourist arrivals in 2004. The figure represented an increase of 10 percent in comparison with the previous year, the best results in two decades, according to a report released by World Tourism Organisation. The Organisation said year 2005 was even better, with Asia benefiting not seen before. 2.1 Malaysia Tourist Arrivals and Receipts to Malaysia: Year Arrivals Tourism Receipts (RM) 2000 10.22 million 17,335.4 million 2001 12.78 million 24,221.5 million 2002 13.29 million 25,781.1 million 2003 10.58 million 21,291.1 million 2004 15.70 million 29.651.4 million 2005 (10 months) 13.58 million Not Available Malaysia recorded a total of 13,581,502 tourist arrivals from January to October 2005 compared to 13,071,098 for the same period in 2004, indicating an increase of 3.9%. For the month of October 2005, there were 1,367,735 tourist arrivals compared to 1,359,658 for the same month in 2004, showing a slight growth of 0.6%. Malaysia has been recording a steady average of some 1.3 million foreign visitors per month for the first ten months The top ten tourist generating markets until October 2005 were Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Japan, China, Australia, United Kingdom, India and Taiwan. The country is expected to receive even higher tourist arrivals in 2007, which coincide with the Visit Malaysia Year. 3.0 Sabah Tourists Arrivals to Sabah: Year Malaysian Internationals Total 2000 365,537 408,938 774,475 2001 512,514 406,009 918,523 2002 579,092 528,264 1,107,356 2003 681,742 569,712 1,251,454 2004 792,308 980,963 1,773,271 2005(preliminary) 1,067,677 761,094 1,828,771 As for Sabah, 2005 was unquestionably a better year than 2004. Sabah welcomed a record high of more than 1.8 million arrivals in 2005, posting a 3 percent increase over 2004 and 46 percent increase over 2003. This translates into a tourism receipt of over RM 2 billion for Sabah. Although the country has faced extraordinary challenges due to circumstances beyond control such as the tsunami natural disaster and spread of bird flu, the number of tourist arrivals to the State had however increased. According to the State’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment recently, the number of tourist arrivals had increased by 2.7 percent, from 1.773 million in 2004 to 1.821 million in 2005. In this respect, the Ministry said the target of 2.7 million arrivals in 2007 is not impossible due to further support from the Visit Malaysia Year 2007 campaign. The state may see tourist arrivals to further increase with a possible target of 4 million arrivals by 2010. This will greatly benefit tourism industry, where the number of visitors will continue to increase. The State of Sabah has been receiving increasing number of tourist arrivals due primarily to its wide varieties of tourism attractions which broadly included as exciting site for adventures, diverse cultures, diving haven, white sandy island beaches, tasty local delicacies, heritage sites and most importantly, availability of unique wildlife and nature. These diverse tourist attractions have made Sabah an increasingly popular destination for tourists to visit Sabah. There are indications that the existing hotel rooms are grossly inadequate to meet the strong demand as a result from tourists’ arrivals. 4.0 KOTA KLIAS Kota Klias is located about 150 km from Kota Kinabalu, a Mangrove Forest Reserve rich with the elusive Proboscis monkey, Silver Leaf monkey and myriad species of birds that inhabit this unique riverine environment. 4.1 Fireflies On a moonless night, the area will be swarm by the flickering lights of fireflies against the night sky. Congregation of fireflies can be seen almost all along the bank of the Klias River. Some trees may have more than a thousand individuals of adult fireflies. Apart from Kota Klias, the Selangor river (Peninsular Malaysia) is one of the more renown areas for observing the magical display of fireflies. 4.2 Proboscis Monkey: It is the Proboscis monkey that has single-handedly turns the Kota Klias into an important tourist’s attraction along the river. Little is known about this primate unlike its more famous cousin‚ the Orang Utan‚ which has been studied‚ both in the wild and captivity. The Proboscis will usually die soon after capture literally starving themselves to death even in large enclosures‚ no matter how lush or lavish their living area is. This is why these monkeys cannot be seen in zoos and receives much less attention‚ even among scientists and researchers‚ compared to other primates. They are best left to themselves in the mangrove and peat swamp forests of Sabah‚ Sarawak‚ Kalimantan and several smaller surrounding islands where they constitutes a valuable part of Borneo’s natural heritage together with its more famous cousin‚ the Orang Utan. As the uniqueness of this Proboscis monkey gains popularity and it is only available in Borneo, especially in the Kota Klias, the number of visitors is expected to increase. 5.0 CURRENT ACTIVITIES AT KLIAS Presently, there are two jetties established by tour operators near the Kota Klias from where they provide boat services to tourists to see these animals. The Lodge is established about a crow fly away from the bridge, it also provides accommodation and boat services to their guests. In a brief survey to the area, there were about 100 tourists loaded in eight different boats in one particular day from the same operators. There were other boats with about 100 tourists from another operator. Between the two operators, they have about 30 boats; each boat can take maximum 30 passengers. It was known at peak season, all the boats were fully used. Quite often, the operators have to outsource additional boats from the villagers staying along the Klias river to ferry tourists for a boat cruise. It was observed that during peak tourist season, the existing operators could not cope with surge in demand for river cruise along Kota Klias and I foresee with the continued increase in tourist arrivals to Sabah, such facilities are glaringly inadequate to accommodate future demand. Most tourists enjoyed the boat cruise and the riverine scenery and the main objective; watching the Proboscis monkey is a justification to conduct such cruise. The river cruise will be more interesting if the tourists are given prior information or pre-tour briefing on what to expect and what type of wildlife other than the monkey, to watch during the cruise. Besides in Bahasa Malaysia and English, the information shall be provided in other foreign languages such as Japanese, Korean and Mandarin, depending on the nationality of the tourists. A professional naturalist will provide a briefing about the natural history of the Kota Klias and the wildlife in the area, before leaving the jetty. Narrative explanation will also be provided on site if the tourists’ requests further information. 6.0 Eco-Education Tourism Services In order to provide a more professional tour services to tourists, Nature Interpreter (naturalists) may be engaged to provide briefing and narrative explanation to the tourists about the natural history of the Kota Klias habitat and the wildlife seen from the boat. This will be more meaningful to the tourists and value for their money. ******************** THE END*********************** Research Papers on Tourism Industry in SabahDefinition of Export QuotasAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesTwilight of the UAWThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UsePersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Project Managment Office SystemArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)

How School Leaders Can Improve Teacher Quality

How School Leaders Can Improve Teacher Quality School leaders want all of their teachers to be great teachers. Great teachers make a school leader’s job easier. Realistically, not every teacher is a great teacher. Greatness takes time to develop. A major component of a school leader’s job is to improve teacher quality. An effective school leader  has the ability to help any teacher take it to the next level. A good school leader will help a bad teacher become effective, an effective teacher become good, and a good teacher become great. They understand that this is a process that takes time, patience, and a lot of work. By improving teacher quality, they will naturally improve student learning outcomes. Improved input equals improved output. This is an essential component of school success. Continuous growth and improvement are necessary. There are many ways that a school leader can improve teacher quality within their building. Here, we examine seven ways that a school leader can help individual teachers grow and improve. Conduct Meaningful Evaluations It takes a lot of time to conduct a thorough teacher evaluation. School leaders are oftentimes overwhelmed with all their duties and evaluations are commonly placed on the backburner. However, evaluations are the single most crucial aspect when improving teacher quality. A school leader should routinely observe and evaluate a teacher’s classroom to identify areas of need and weakness and to create an individual plan for that teacher to improve in those areas. An evaluation should be thorough, especially for those teachers who have been identified as needing significant improvement. They should be created after a substantial number of observations that allow a school leader to see the entire picture of what a teacher is doing in their classroom. These evaluations should drive a school leader’s plan of the resources, suggestions, and professional development that is required to improve individual teacher quality. Offer Constructive Feedback/Suggestions A school leader must offer a list that includes any weaknesses which they find during the evaluation. A school leader should also give detailed suggestions to guide teacher improvement. If the list is exceedingly comprehensive, then pick a few of the things that you believe is the most important. Once those have improved to an area deemed effective, then you can move on to something else. This can be done both formally and informally and is not limited to what is in the evaluation. A school leader may see something that could improve the teacher on a quick visit to the classroom. The school leader may offer constructive feedback intended to address this smaller issue. Provide Meaningful Professional Development Engaging in professional development can improve teacher quality. It is necessary to note that there are a lot of terrible professional development opportunities. A school leader needs to look thoroughly at the professional development they are scheduling and determine if it will produce the intended results. Engaging professional development can foster dynamic changes for a teacher. It can motivate, provide innovative ideas and gives a fresh perspective from an outside source. There are professional development opportunities that cover just about any weakness a teacher has. Continuous growth and improvement is essential for all teachers and even more valuable for those who have gaps that need to be closed. Provide Adequate Resources All teachers need the appropriate tools to do their job effectively. School leaders must be able to give their teachers the resources they need. This can be challenging as we currently live in an era where educational funding is a significant issue. However, in the age of the Internet, there are more tools available to teachers than ever before. Teachers must be taught to use the Internet and other technologies as an educational resource in their classroom. Great teachers will find a way to cope without having all the resources they would like to have. However, school leaders should do everything they can to provide their teachers with the best resources or provide professional development to use the resources they do have effectively. Provide a Mentor Great veteran teachers can provide tremendous insight and encouragement to an inexperienced or struggling teacher. A school leader must develop veteran teachers who want to share best practices with other teachers. They must also build a trusting, encouraging atmosphere in which their entire faculty communicates, collaborates, and shares with each other. School leaders must make mentor connections in which both sides have similar personalities, or the connection may be counterproductive. A solid mentor connection can be a positive, learning venture for both the mentor and the mentee. These interactions are most effective when they are daily and ongoing. Establish Ongoing, Open Communication All school leaders should have an open door policy. They should encourage their teachers to discuss concerns or to seek advice at any time. They should engage their teachers in ongoing, dynamic dialogue. This dialogue should be continuous especially for those teachers who need improvement. School leaders should want to build engaging, trusting relationships with their teachers. This is essential for improving teacher quality. School leaders who do not have this sort of relationship with their teachers will not see improvement and growth. School leaders must be active listeners who offer encouragement, constructive criticism, and suggestions when appropriate. Encourage Journaling and Reflecting School leaders should encourage inexperienced or struggling teachers to journal. Journaling can be a powerful tool. It can help a teacher grow and improve through reflection. It can help them better recognize their individual strengths and weaknesses. It is also valuable as a reminder of things that worked and things that did not work so well in their classroom. Journaling can spark insight and understanding. It can be a dynamic game-changer for teachers who genuinely want to improve.

Paper on TV shows and the reading Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paper on TV shows and the reading - Movie Review Example Something especially ironic is noted with regards to the â€Å"Lucy Does a Commercial† scene from the â€Å"I Love Lucy† show. On the surface, the scene engages the audiences with a tongue in cheek portrayal of an unwitting Lucy slowly becoming entirely intoxicated. However, on a deeper level, the portrayal of female intoxication is only allowable within the societal constraints of that time due to the fact that it was unintentional. Moreover, a secondary level of societal conventions which are challenged as well as affirmed are with regards to the way in which Lucy refers to both the director and her husband by saying â€Å"yes sir†. Although quaint, this level of acquiescence is somehow out of place and stands in stark irony to the fact that her agreeing to do the commercial at all was built entirely upon deceit and lies to her husband (Doty 18). In such a way, the gender roles and inferiority that women held during the 1950s is adequately displayed while at th e same time exhibiting a â€Å"will to power† and liberation of male repression by Lucy’s going to whatever means are necessary in order to accomplish her goals and desires (Di Gregorio 58). The comedic irony of the entire situation is what adds to the understanding that there is a real and present flaw within society that is addressed by Lucy’s non-linear approach to male chauvinism and dominance within her own life. A similar level of parody and irony is evidenced with regards to Girls season 1 (pilot episode). The subversive level of comedy is evidenced within this particular show with regards to the way in which the girl-girl dynamics that are exhibited within the plot lines so completely and entirely differentiate from the girl-boy dynamics that are evidenced. Naturally, the audience is fully aware of the fact that men and women are different from one another both in physicality and emotional response to key issues; however, the preposterous way in which th is is presented allows for a preposterously absurd level of difference to be noted as a means of allowing the viewer to come to a more actionable understanding of how the sexes relate to one another and oftentimes experience a complete breakdown in rational understanding (Stransky 41). Elements of gender non-uniformity are allowed to permeate the plot as well due to the fact that the outlandish and absurd behavior that men/boys exhibit within the show leads the main female characters to seek each other out in a world that has seemingly turned its back to them. Although this should not be meant to define a clear lesbian dynamic, the mental state of the relationship that the two main characters share is extraordinarily intimate as compared to any other relationship that is defined or related within the show. Lastly, with regards to season 4 episode 90 of the â€Å"Roseanne† show, the viewer is presented a comically ludicrous situation in which typical teenage behavior is reacte d to in an overbearing manner by the parents. Continuing in this pattern of blissful ignorance with regards to the standard means by which children are likely to behave and would best react to corrective discipline, the adults invariably blunder into a situation in which they relive and re-institute the same overbearing style of dictatorial rule that turned them against their parents so many years ago

The Business Environment of European Union Research Paper

The Business Environment of European Union - Research Paper Example With the formation of the European Union, all the member states are required to follow the EC 92 as the Single European Act. The single European act was a step closer to the goal of economic integration. Economic integration has revolutionized all the laws and regulations and has changed the whole business environment in most of the member states. With the dismissal of the trade barriers the European act also proposed an array of commercial policies including single European standards for goods produced. This has given rise to difficulties for the companies producing below the standards as they are faced with the challenges of technology upgrade and quality advancement while keeping the prices competitive due to increased competition. For example in the Italian textile industry producers are struggling to keep under priced clothes from flooding the Italian market, designer label brands are waging another battle - against imitations, or "knockoffs", as they are known in the trade. (Italian designers, 2005) Most of the fakes come from China or other Asian countries with low labor costs and no concern for social services, welfare and pollution control. Although the Italian sector is currently facing unprecedented challenges these challenges can be faced only by innovation. These include the abolition of quantitative restrictions (quotas) which took place on 1st January 2005. These challenges are occurring in a period of marked slowdown in economic activity, which has a significant impact on sectors such as textiles and clothing. Furthermore, at the same time, the Euro has shown a significant upward trend against the US dollar. All in all, every segment of textiles and clothing production, from spinning and weaving to garment make-up, has in one way or the other suffered from the impact of the developments of the last few years. (Textiles and clothing sector in the EU-25) The years 2001-2004 have been particularly difficult for the industry. After substantial falls in production and employment in the previous three years, it is estimated that in 2003 production fell by a further 4.4% and employment by 7.1% (EU-25, source: Eurostat). The trade deficit (EU-25) amounted to 29.4 billion in 2003, the trade in textiles reaching a surplus of 3.7 billion and the deficit in clothing 33.1 billion. The European Union was expanded in May 2004 having 25 members. The aim of the creation of the union was to create the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of substantial economic growth with more, and better, jobs and greater social cohesion (Elizabeth Hunt Recruitment). All the member states of the EU have to follow common trade and employment laws, which on the one hand provided them with the ease of free trade and larger availability of workforce and a vast product market on the other.